Dreams
by CareeningAway
Summary: "My name's Kimber. I'm going to be running Sunset Farm on the hill over there." Marlin blinked, his face blank. This tiny woman... was going to be running that huge farm, all by herself?  ...It certainly was an interesting idea.
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

**AN: So I've been wanting to actually buckle down and write a fic instead of just thinking about it for some time now... And I figured there's no better time than midnight to write a first chapter! So here's to my first fic! More chapters to come later! :)**

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><p><em><strong>Dreams <strong>_**by Careening**

**Chapter 1: Introductions**

She stared out at the expanse of field that would soon be her property, the property that had previously been her father's. She felt a sharp pang in her heart; her father had never had the opportunity to see his dream, this dream, realized. She wished she could somehow talk to him again, hear his voice... She wanted to let him know that she loved him, and how much she missed him...

Before coming here, she hadn't understood. But looking out at this land... It had awakened something within her. Her gaze hardened with resolve, and despite how much the decision scared her, she felt a smile find its way to her lips.

It was then that she knocked on Takakura's door.

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><p>He stared out the open window of the shop, watching newly-budding trees sway in the breeze and the clouds roll by. Part of the spring wind wafted into the building through the window, mixed with the clean valley air. He breathed in deeply; he didn't think he'd ever quite get over how sweet and pure the air was here. Plus the people were kind, the scenery was beautiful...<p>

He just wished he could do more work. He was feeling a little bit stronger every day, already he was thirty times stronger than he was when he had first come here three years ago. And yet, he still had to limit himself. Spring and fall weren't bad as long as it wasn't raining, but summers were full of the sweltering heat he so much hated, and when it was more than just a little cool, Vesta and Celia wouldn't let him out of the house...

He sighed in exasperation. It wasn't that he _minded _watching the store. Sure, he wasn't the most socially adept person there ever was, but he enjoyed the brief conversations he had with the people of the valley. It was just... he was a twenty-four year-old man. And almost all young men felt the urge to do some sort of hard work in the day, something to make the day worthwhile and to... to just _do _something.

Marlin glanced out the window at Vesta gathered fresh cabbages in one of their fields. He didn't see Celia; she must have gone to town or the spring. He absentmindedly wondered what he would do tonight... Go to the bar? The beach? Maybe both, he decided. He could use a glass of Griffin's Body Aid and some cool night air. Sounded nice...

At that moment, there was a hesitant knock on the door, interrupting Marlin's thoughts. Weird, people don't usually knock, he thought to himself. The wooden entrance creaked open to reveal a beautiful, petite blonde, clad in worn denim overalls and a red and white plaid shirt. She had large, expressive blueish-gray eyes and a cheerful smile on her face.

"Uh... hi!" She offered, giving him a wave of greeting.

"...Hey..." He said. A moment of silence passed, him shyly staring at this smiling girl. "Um... who are you, exactly?"

She blinked in confusion, then realization flooded her face. "Oh, duh! Haha, sorry, I spaced out! My name's Kimber. I'm going to be running Sunset Farm on the hill over there." She motioned towards the direction of the old farm to the south.

Marlin blinked, his face blank. This tiny woman... was going to be running that huge farm, all by herself?

It certainly was an interesting idea.

It suddenly hit him that he should probably introduce himself. Fighting down sudden nervousness, he said, "Well, my name's Marlin. Welcome to Forget-Me-Not Valley."

A smile lit up her face, and she let out a chime-like laugh. "Well, thanks!" She said.

"No problem." He replied.

The girl, Kimber, brought her gloved hands together and smiled again. "So... do you sell seeds here?"

He blinked again. "...Yeah. Vegetable and fruit seeds, fertilizer, and produce. Do you need something?"

"Yeah. I need something... well, don't laugh, but I need something... easy?" She laughed nervously. "Truth be told, I've only ever grown one thing, a bean plant back in elementary school... So I'm not really to sure about how great I'll be at growing crops. But I want to try!" She finished with gusto.

Marlin found himself smiling. There was something he couldn't quite place about this girl... Something he liked.

"Turnips and potatoes."

"Huh?"

"They're easiest to grow..."

"...Oh!" She smiled yet again.

"...Yeah." He smiled back, and went to grab her a seed pouch of each from the cabinet. "Turnips grow faster than potatoes, but they're both pretty simple. Just water them daily... Unless it's raining, of course..." She was nodding at every instruction, as though mentally taking notes. He suppressed an amused smile, handing her the seeds.

"Each of these pouches should cover about nine tilled squares each. The turnips should be ready to harvest in a little less than a week, the potatoes in a little over a week. Any questions..?"

Kimber brought a finger to her lips as though in deep thought. "Can I eat them when they're ready to harvest?"

He laughed. "Yeah."

Her eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought of eating vegetables she grew herself, and she let out that chime-like laugh again. "Great! So, how much do I owe you?"

"They're on the house this time." He replied. She shook her head adamantly.

"No, you've been such a big help in explaining this to me! It's really not necessary. How much-"

"They're on the house." He repeated.

Another smile.

"Well... If you're sure. Thank you, Marlin!" She was beaming.

"No problem."

"Well... I guess I better go plant these! I'll see you around!" The young farmer was still smiling when she the shop.

He was smiling, too.

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><p><strong>AN: I know it's kind of short, but oh well, it's my first fic, I'm allowed to be lazy! XD Please read and review, as I have no idea what to think of this. There will be more chapters soon! :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Peaches and Bananas

**AN: So this chapter took awhile! :( Hehe... Sorry bout that, I have a lot going on! It's summer now, and I have a job. Also, my mom's getting married and has been pestering me every minute about every little thing because I'm a bridesmaid. I actually did have this done a week or two ago, but our computer crashed and my dad juuuuuust got it fixed today. :) So yay for the internet! **

**Anyways, I wanted to write responses to all those that reviewed! I was very surprised that I got any reviews at all, and it made my day to get feedback on how the first chapter was because I was very unsure if it was even a story worth posting! :) Thank you and please review again, it lets me know how I'm doing! :)**

_**Babe: Thank you! I'll try as hard as I can to keep it good! :)**_

_**soo-chill: I know! Marlin is one of my favorite characters in the Harvest Moon games, and you hardly ever see any fics about him. It makes me sad. :( And thank you! :) I will try to keep updating as soon as possible. **_

_**HMhannah: Thank you! I love Marlin, too! :) I'll try!**_

_**Kathi: Thank you so much! It means a lot to get positive feedback on the first chapter, so at least I get an idea that I'm heading in the right direction. It especially helps to know if the characters seem... well, in-character or not! I wasn't sure if they seemed like they were or not, and it makes me happy that at least in the first chapter they seem like they are! :) I know Pony usually goes with Valley boys and Claire with Mineral Town boys, but I really like Claire as a character, and I always thought she would be cute with Marlin, so... yeah! :)Thanks for the positive reinforcement! :)**_

**Well anyways, here's the second chapter! :)**

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><p><em><strong>Dreams<strong>_** by Careening**

**Chapter 2: Peaches and Bananas**

She couldn't get over how peaceful it was here. There were never any car horns honking, no crowds of people to push through to get to where you were going, no fights breaking out on the streets... Just a quiet serenity, clean air, nice weather, and even nicer people.

Yes, she was beginning to like it here.

Her turnips and potatoes had grown. She had harvest most of them today, and those she hadn't shipped were sitting in a bowl in her refrigerator, waiting to be eaten for lunch and supper over the next few days. She had also gathered as many herbs and wildflowers as she could find, and had been shipping them for extra money over the last week. It wasn't much... but she was steadily making a profit.

Takakura had talked to her today about animals; there was an older cow for sale in Mineral Town for a reasonable price, he had said. She had recently given birth to a calf, so she was still giving milk. The older man was going to buy her for the farm with some money he and her father had sasved up years ago to buy a cow with.

Kimber had literally jumped up and down in excitement. Her first real farm animal! Takakura had just looked at her with amusement before telling her he was going to pick her up the day after tomorrow, and that she should get some fodder, a milker, and a brush lined up.

Things are starting to make a little more sense to me now, she thought from her perch on the corner of her pasture fence. I didn't kill my crops, they actually grew pretty nicely. And now I'm getting a cow... Farming is actually kind of fun!

The blue-eyed young woman shifted her gaze from the scenery and upwards to the sky. The sun was setting, and the sky was a watercolor of pinks, blues, lavenders, and golds. She couldn't help but think of her father... Her father gathering wild plants to ship. Her father being happy when his first crops grew. Her father eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first cow...

You loved farming, didn't you? She asked silently. A sudden breeze picked up, pushing her long, straw blonde hair back from her face much in the same way her father used to do. She blinked before a smile found its way to her face. I like it, too, she thought.

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><p><em>"Daddy!"<em>

_"Peach!"_

_The little girl tackled her father into a surprisingly strong embrace, and the man lifted her up and swung her around a few times before kissing her forehead._

_"Ready for our picnic?" He asked, bright blue eyes twinkling. _

_"Yeah, daddy!" The little girl exclaimed cutely._

_"Well alright, then, let's start unpacking!" Her father spread a large checkered cloth across the soft, green grass of the park, and both of them sat down on it. He began taking things out of the picnic basket._

_"Let's see now... Two pieces of fresh fried chicken..."_

_"Yummy!"_

_"Two bottles of lemonade..."_

_"Mmmmmm!"_

_"Two long, tasty carrots!"_

_"Tasty!"_

_"Two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches..."_

_"Daddy, I'm hungry!" The girl pouted jokingly, before bursting into a fit of high-pitched giggles. The man looked at his daughter and laughed, that twinkling never leaving his eyes._

_"And for dessert..." He rummaged through the inside of the basket for a moment. The little girl waited expectantly. "Two fresh, juicy peaches!" He said triumphantly, pulling out two perfect peaches. His daughter squealed._

_"Yaaaaay! Peaches are my favorite, daddy." The father smiled at his daughter. _

_"I know, sweetheart. Why do you think I call you my little peach?" _

_She gave her father another hug. "...Daddy?"_

_"Yes, sweetheart?"_

_"...Can we have dessert first?"_

_He chuckled. "Yes, Kimber."_

_"Yaaaaaaaay!"_

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><p>Kimber smiled at the memory of her and her father. That picnic in the park was one of the few, treasured memories she had with him. Her parents had divorced when she was four, and full custody had been granted to her mother, who lived in the city. Kimber had always loved peaches, and every time she had ever gotten to see her father, he had had a fresh peach in hand for her.<p>

Her stomach growled; all that reminescing about picnics and peaches had made her realize how hungry she was. She had a little extra cash... Maybe the bar had something peach-flavored?

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><p>Marlin took another sip of his drink, looking out the window of Blue Bar as he did so. It was a beautiful spring night; maybe he would take a walk later, look at the stars. Come to think of it, there should be a full moon tonight. He would walk down to the beach; it was always beautiful there on a full moon. The push and pull of the water always soothed his mind, eased his frustrations about not being able to work as hard as he would like.<p>

Then again... maybe he wouldn't go to the beach. Last time he'd gone, he'd accidentally stumbled upon Nami and Gustafa kissing by the shore. He didn't want to intrude on any more of their "dates".

As he took another sip of his drink, he vaguely wondered if he would ever get the chance to take a girl to the beach and look at the moon and stars. Probably not, he decided after a moment. Most girls didn't want anything to do with a sick man. Except maybe a select few, like Celia, but he held no romantic interest for the woman whatsoever. She was a nice girl, but... he just didn't think of her, or any other woman in the Valley, in that way...

What did it feel like to be in love? He wish he knew. He'd sort of liked girls before, back when he'd lived in the city, but they'd never returned his feelings. Was love something more? Gustafa might know or be able to explain, he thought. But Marlin would never ask the hippie, however free-spirited he was, such a personal question.

His thoughts drifted freely to all of the women in the Valley. He really didn't know any of them too well, besides Celia. The one who was the biggest mystery to him at the moment, however, was Kimber, the new farmer girl. He couldn't get over how much work that tiny body could seemingly exert! On the one other occasion he had seen her since she bought the vegetable seeds from him (which she had grown quite well, as Vesta had judged them when Takakura had stopped by on his way to town to sell them), she had been vigorously pulling up wild herbs and weeds in her field on her farm. She had stopped for a second and waved at him, he had waved shyly back, and she had gone right back to work with that smile on her face.

And that smile! It was something else that she was smiling, all the time. Every time anyone saw her, she seemed to be in a cheerful mood; the Valley residents had recently begun to talk about her sunny disposition and how she always worked hard and kept that smile on her face. She seemed to love everything she did. And he had already been told by Vesta at least five times in the past week and a half that the girl had been here how cute and sweet she thought she was.

Marlin let out a sigh of exasperation. What was he doing, wasting his time daydreaming about a farmer girl he barely knew who could be as young as eighteen (judging from her appearance )? He should be thinking about which crops he had to harvest tomorrow if it didn't rain, or what kind of fertilizer the newly budding cucumbers needed to help them grow bigger. _Not_ girls.

He took another sip of his drink and tried to push his thoughts elsewhere.

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><p>A bell jingled as Kimber push open the door to Blue Bar. She was greeted by some slow, acoustic music emanating from an ancient jukebox in the corner, the quiet murmurs of evening conversations, and the sweet smell of alcoholic drinks. Several gazes met hers as she went towards the only empty seat; the two pyrotechnist brothers Patrick and Kassey, the quiet artist Cody, the young, dark-haired man who worked at Vesta's, Marlin... Griffin and Muffy, the bartenders, were there too, of course.<p>

"Well, good evenin', Kimber." The scruffy-looking bartender Griffin greeted her, giving her a lazy smile.

"Evenin', Griffin. How have you been?" She asked him, smiling while taking a seat between Marlin and Cody.

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old." Kimber nodded understandingly, moving a lock of long blonde hair out of her face to reveal a light sunburn.

"Hard day on the farm?" Muffy questioned, noticing her pink skin. The farmer girl let out a gentle laugh.

"No more difficult than yesterday." She told her cheerfully.

"Hahaha, that's the way to look at it. Stay positive like that, and you'll go far in life... Oh, anything I can get you this evenin'?" Griffin asked her.

"Actually... I was wondering if you had anything here that was... peach-flavored?"

The older bartender put a finger to his stubbly chin in thought. "Well, I haven't made it in awhile, but there used to be this thing we had... Hang on, I'll try to whip up something real quick." He turned around and busied himself taking out ingredients and shaking bottles to prepare her drink.

"I didn't know you were old enough to drink, little lady!" Kassey slurred slightly, peeking at Kimber from the other side of Marlin, who was sitting between them. Marlin glanced at Kassey, then looked at her with an inquisitive expression. The blonde chuckled lightly.

"I get that a lot. I know I look pretty young, but I'm actually twenty-two." She told the men. While Marlin slowly nodded at her, Kassey turned to his brother Patrick.

"You hear that, Pat? Twenty-two years old! And here we was under the impression that she was no more'n eighteen!" Both of the older men guffawed, catching Griffin's attention. He turned away from the drink he was in the process of making to glance at the brothers.

"Alright, boys, I think you've had enough for the night." He told them. They just kept laughing as they put money on the counter and headed outside. Cody stood up to leave as well, saying he had to be up early tomorrow to paint. After the door shut, Kimber turned to Marlin again.

"They get pretty cheerful when they've been drinking, don't they?" She laughed. A small smile found its way to the young man's features.

"...Yeah... they do." He couldn't figure out why he was suddenly so shy...

Kimber smiled at him, wishing she knew what to say next...

"Here's your drink, Kimber." Griffin set an orange, fizzy drink on the counter in front of her.

"Thank you." She immediately put the mug to her lips and took a sip. It tasted of peaches, fruity and very, very sweet. "Mmm..." She sighed contentedly. She felt Marlin looking at her and felt her cheeks grow pink. From the corner of her eye, she could study his facial features. He had the most beautiful pale blue eyes... and he was very cute... She had thought so since first meeting him a week or so ago.

Marlin studied the blonde farmer girl with interest, though trying to be subtle. She was beautiful, with a tiny, slightly upturned nose, a heart-shaped face, and huge, deep blue eyes with long lashes framing them. Her hair was beautiful, too. He wondered how long it had taken for it to grow to that length. She seemed to take such pleasure out of gulping down that peach-flavored drink...

"So..." He started, "...Peach-flavored, huh?" Kimber grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah... I've had sort of a thing for peaches ever since I was little. I don't know why, but they just taste so good to me." She told him, taking another sip of her fruit beverage. Marlin blinked, then nodded slowly. Kimber shyly turned her gaze back to the counter in front of her, sipping on her drink.

"Griffin, I forgot to tell you, Van delivered that new crate of flavorings arrived this afternoon while you were visiting with Ruby. I had him put it in the back. Should I go get it?" Muffy walked over to the door to the back room as she talked.

"Yeah, I'll come help you." Griffin followed her into the back and closed the door behind them.

There was a short silence between the two.

"...I've always had a thing for bananas, myself..."

She turned to him again in slight surprise; she had thought their conversation was over. "O-Oh... Yeah? I like those, too. I love banana nut muffins."

"Those are one of my favorites..."

Kimber smiled at him again, and he couldn't help smiling back. Both took sip of their drinks.

Muffy and Griffin came back into the room carrying a heavy-looking crate together. They paused, first looking at the two smiling farmers and then at each other, before continuing taking the crate behind the counter.

"You two sure look happy." Muffy commented as they pried open the crate. Kimber felt her cheeks heat up, and looked over to see that Marlin looked a little pink, too. I wonder what she means by that? The young blonde thought, lifting her glass to her lips once again only to disappointedly find it was her last sip. She glanced at the clock; 11:30 p.m.

"Wow... It's getting late." She commented, pushing her now-empty glass towards the bartenders' side of the counter as she stood up to dig in her jeans pocket for some money. "I should be heading home here in a minute... Ah! Here it is." Kimber pulled out a crumpled-up bill to set on the counter, only to have another bill pushed in front of her. She looked at Marlin in confusion.

"...I'll pay for both of us." He said quietly, also standing up and pushing his empty glass next to Kimber's. Her cheeks burned lightly again.

"Oh, no... You paid for my seeds before, it wouldn't be right!"

"I want to."

"...Are you sure it's okay?" She asked him. The handsome, dark-haired farmer nodded. She felt her cheeks grow darker; how sweet! "Okay... Thank you, Marlin." She gave him a bright smile. He nodded, turning to Griffin. "I'll be going home, too. Keep the change, Griffin."

Griffin promptly took the empty glassses and put them in the sink to be washed. "Thanks much, Marlin. See you later. You too, Kimber."

She smiled. "See you."

Marlin stepped over to the door and held it open, waiting for Kimber to go outside. She smiled shyly at him, and stepped through the door, him following her.

After the door creaked shut, Muffy let out a giggle she had obviously been suppressing. "How cute was that! How long do you think it will be before they're together?"

Griffin just chuckled to himself.

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><p>"So... how do you like the Valley so far?" Marlin asked as the two walked slowly down the path in the moonlight. They had chosen to walk together since they were headed the same way anyways, and they were chatting as they went along.<p>

The blonde woman smiled. "I like it a lot so far. The people are nice, it's quiet, the air is so clean and pure... everything's so peaceful. You don't find that in the city."

Marlin nodded, all too familiar with the unpleasantries of his former home... her former home, too.

"Yeah... The Valley's pretty nice. Everything was so crowded in the city, it was hard to breathe... But here, people live peacefully, and nearly everyone is friendly and welcoming towards everyone else."

Kimber looked at Marlin quizically. "You use to live in the city, too?" She asked.

He nodded, his baby blue eyes narrowing, making him look more guarded. "Yes, I did... It's not something I like to remember. For me, the Valley is much better."

She nodded. "...It is for me, too..."

The two stopped walking; they were at the entrance to Sunset Farm. They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Well," Kimber said, breaking the silence, "thanks for walking me home. It was nice talking to you, Marlin."

The man felt his pale face heat up, and he searched for something to say. "Uh... you too. We should do this again sometime..."

A smile lit up the girl's pretty features, and he thought he saw a light blush adorning her cheeks as well. "Yes, we definitely should. Well, goodnight. See you!" She turned to walk to her farmhouse.

"Goodnight." He echoed her words, and after he saw her get close enough to her farmhouse, he turned to walk to his own home, his thoughts filled with big blue eyes and pink cheeks the whole way there.

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><p><strong>AN: This one is much longer than the last one, I think! More pages on my computer, anyways. XD I hope everyone likes it! I'm not sure if all the characters are totally in character right now, but I think I'm doing okay. :) I'll try to update sooner next time. Read and review, please! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Gentle Hands

**AN: Well, it has been awhiiile! :( **

**I'll admit it, I'm just a big procrastinator... XD Haha, I've tried a few different scenarios for this chapter actually, but nothing seemed to fit. So I got frustrated and took an overly-long break.**

**Well... Nobody ever said I was a regular updater... So yeah. :P Anyways...**

_**Illusion of Dawn: Thanks! I love Marlin. :3 I think he's just awesome. And dandy. And other... adjectives. Haha :)**_

_**Dawn: Thanks so much! It really makes me happy to hear that I'm doing the characters at least a tiny bit of justice. Now that I think about it, Marlin is kind of similar to Robert Pattinson... Except without all the Twilight-hubbub... Yeah. XD Anyways, thanks! :)**_

_**Paradoxygen: Thank you! :) Yeah, Marlin's great. :P**_

_**FlamingIceWolfGirl: Thank you very much! :)**_

**Well, here goes nothing... The third chapter (finally)! :)**

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><p><em><strong>Dreams<strong>_** by Careening**

**Chapter 3: Gentle Hands**

Marlin sighed tiredly as he carefully transferred the contents of his basket to the crate in the storeroom, which would be shipped later this evening when the buyer came. A trickle of sweat ran down his forehead, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand while leaning against the wooden wall of the storeroom, trying to somewhat catch his breath.

The door swung open, and in walked Celia and Vesta, both carrying heavy-looking baskets full of crops.

"Hey, Marlin." Celia greeted him with her soft voice as she walked over to a different crate and began emptying her basket full of cucumbers into it. "Finished with the strawberries?"

"Yeah... They're all in the crate." He replied, walking over to the to-do list laying on the counter and crossing off several things they'd completed that morning.

Celia smiled, even though he couldn't see it. "That's great! Thanks for trading with me. I would've taken strawberries gladly - I love the smell - but I'm sure I would've bruised a bunch of them on accident like I did last year. You have a gentler touch than me, though." The brunette finished transferring cucumbers to the box and walked over to Marlin's bin, casually looking at the red bite-size fruits. "Actually, from the looks of these, you didn't bruise a single one!"

The dark-haired man turned to her awkwardly and shrugged, uncomfortable with her praise. "I guess we had a more durable crop this year." He offered. Celia shook her head earnestly.

"No... I'm always much too rough with things. I need to learn to have a daintier touch. I tried to learn this year by watching you, though. You have such gentle hands!" She complimented him. Marlin just looked at her blankly.

He really didn't think he had gentle hands...

Vesta had been busying herself working on emptying her own overflowing basket of turnips in their respective crate until then, and she walked over to the counter to cross off a few more things on their list, smiling at Marlin as she did so. "You do have pretty gentle hands there, Marlin." She commented.

The man just stood there, taking in what they were telling them, but not really acknowledging it, because he didn't believe so himself.

"Well, I think that's about all we can get accomplished, seeing that the morning's about over. How about everyone takes a break for lunch, and then this afternoon I'll run the store? You two deserve a day off!" Vesta announced to them. A smile found its way to Celia's face, and she beamed at Vesta.

"Sounds perfect!"

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><p>Kimber exited the barn feeling pretty satisfied.<p>

This morning, Takakura had returned from Mineral Town with the cow they had talked about before (named Cassie), and the older animal had taken a liking to Kimber's barn, or at least that's what it seemed like. She had sauntered around the different stalls, finally settling in one as she mooed happily.

Kimber had filled that stall's feeder with fodder and water for her newly beloved Cassie. She had brushed her thoroughly, the cow seeming to enjoy the attention. She had also milked for the first time, and, Cassie being an older cow who had given birth many times in her life, cooperated and let herself be milked without a struggle.

Now Cassie was happily snoozing in her spacious stall, and Kimber was examining her field with sudden interest. I bet Cassie would like to run around outside once in awhile, she thought. Maybe it was time to purchase some grass seeds?

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><p>Takakura observed his old friend's daughter with mild amusement; she was currently tilling a large part of her field, a rectangular area around the barn where the new cow currently rested. The makings of a pasture? He mused to himself, never much of one to ask what someone was doing; he was content to wait and see how everything turned out without questions.<p>

He had to admit, though... He was impressed by her work ethic.

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><p>After a hard day's work, and another milking of Cassie, Kimber had to admit she was damn proud of her newly-plowed and planted grass field. I think this earns me a nice, relaxing walk, she thought happily, exiting Sunset Farm from the eastern side to walk north towards the waterfall and the Goddess Pond. She loved the scenery up there. Well, she loved the scenery everywhere, but there was especially pleasant.<p>

She also loved the Harvest Sprites. She wasn't quite sure why, but when she had first ventured to the pond during her first week in Forget-Me-Not Valley, three little men had appeared in front of her. Well, maybe men was the wrong word. But she didn't think they were children... It was hard to put a word on Nik, Nak, and Flak.

The pond had been abandoned, and she had been absentmindedly sniffing a daisy, enjoying its sweet scent, when the crunching of gravel behind her had startled her.

Upon turning around, she had come face-to-face with the three small sprites. They had smiled at her and introduced themselves, and then gone on to talk about the Harvest Goddess, how kind she was, and how they wanted some mushroom jam. She'd spoken back to them, telling them she'd never met the Harvest Goddess but maybe someday she could. They had promised her that she would, definitely, 'for sure'. The rest of that evening had been spent talking to the sprites about different wild animals, the people in the Valley, and more food.

So when she rounded the corner to come into view with the Pond, she had half-expected to see the sprites. Instead, she found a young man with jet black hair sitting by the water, looking into it.

"Marlin?"

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><p>The young man's gaze shot up in surprise at the sound of his name, then softened when it settled on the golden-haired farmer.<p>

"Kimber." He gave her a small smile. She walked towards him.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" She smiled back, coming to a stop when she stood beside him. He motioned for her to sit next to him, telling himself it was out of politeness.

"Likewise." He said simply, closing his eyes to enjoy a gentle breeze that suddenly rippled through the Valley. Kimber closed her own eyes, feeling the caress of the wind on her cheeks. It was a good feeling, though it seemed to pass rather quickly.

When she opened her eyes, she found Marlin studying her. She was sure a slightly confused frown appeared on her face, because he explained his stare then. "Sunburn?" He asked, motioning towards her red arms, neck, cheeks, and forehead.

She touched a finger to her forehead and winced. "Yeah, I guess it is!" She laughed. "I guess I didn't notice. I should probably put some lotion on that when I get home."

Marlin nodded. "Better sooner than later."

"Yeah..."

The two sat there for another moment, this time in a comfortable silence. Marlin found himself thinking about how enjoyable this actually was, sitting her with someone. Usually he didn't like to have company during his walks to the Pond, or the waterfall, or wherever he happened to be going. But being with Kimber seemed easy. You didn't have to talk to enjoy yourself, but when the talking did happen, it was actually pretty fun.

More than fun.

"So guess what?" Excitement rang evident in the blonde's voice, her eyes dancing a little as she smiled at him. He looked at her expectantly.

"What?"

"I got my first cow today!" She grinned ear-to-ear, clearly ecstatic about the animal. "Her name's Cassie, and she's an older cow. Takakura bought her from a man in Mineral Town..." Her voice trailed off as she cocked her head slightly, staring at the water with the smile still on her face.

"That's great..." Marlin tried to put an effort into making conversation. "Do you think she likes it here?" He found himself eager to know more about her farming, her life in general.

Kimber gave him a sunny smile. "I think she does, definitely. I let her pick her own stall, and she was mooing like she was all happy... I think. Do cows ever sound not-cheerful?"

Marlin chuckled lightly, trying to consider her question. "Well... I'm guessing they usually moo the same. Though if you try to milk them when they're out of milk, I'm sure they're not too happy about it."

Kimber looked at him thoughtfully. "I hope that never happens. I want Cassie to like me!"

The man smiled at her, his pale blue eyes smiling. "I'm sure she already does." The woman's face lit up in happiness at his compliment.

"You really think so?"

"I do."

Kimber smiled contentedly, then turned slightly to gaze at a small patch of daisies to her right. She loved flowers. She reached to grab a small handful of the beautiful plants, deciding to try to make a flower crown as a short silence fell between them again.

Marlin watched her, interested to see what she would do with the daisies. Her hands attempted to weave the stems together, to make a sort-of crown, he guessed. She wasn't making the knots tight enough, though, and the flowers kept slipping through the holes. A childlike frown found its way to her pink lips, and she stopped her actions for a second, trying to figure out a better way to do things.

"Can I try?" Marlin held out his hands for the flowers, and, giving them one last glance, she nodded and gave them to him to work with. His nimble hands wove the stems in and out, tying them soundly together so they would not break, and turning the petals outward so they would show if the 'crown' was placed on her head.

In less than a minute, he handed his creation back to her, leaving her astonished before she put it on her head, grinning like a child who had just been given the gift they wanted most at Christmas-time. He felt his heart swell a little with pride and maybe a little of something else at her apparent happiness, and a tinge of pink overcame his cheeks for a moment.

"I wish I could do that." She said softly, lightly touching the daisies atop her head. Marlin found himself smiling, suddenly content, as she admired the thing he'd made for her. "I'm no good at making things like this." She continued in the same soft voice. "I mean, I can cook and do simple sewing, things like that, but nothing cool like this."

"It's nothing." He replied shyly, feeling as though it was just a simple task that he just knew how to do, somehow. Kimber shook her head in disagreement.

"It's something. It's really... It's a really good talent to have. To be able to do things with your hands. My hands have almost no coordination, at least not with things that require patience... But you have really gentle hands, I think."

The man blinked, recalling how Celia had told him the same earlier that day. Looking to his hands, he thought. He still didn't think he had 'gentle hands' but it somehow seemed a little more convincing when Kimber said it. A lot more, actually.

He realized that her opinion meant a lot to him, though he didn't know her very well... And ever since he'd first talked to the woman, he'd been curious about her; what her story was, what her personality was like, what she liked to do... He hadn't been daydreaming about her constantly, but she _had_ crossed his mind more than once or twice a day since their meeting, which was really more than he could say for anyone else he knew. What was it about her that made her so intriguing to him?

Just as he was starting to get lost in his thoughts, he realized that she had given him a compliment with her words just moments earlier.

"Thank you."

Maybe this was the time to start to learn Kimber's story.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think this one's a little shorter than the last one... But at least it's something! Sorry about the wait, but I don't wanna plunk out something that's not very good and doesn't feel right. Sometimes it's hard to put what I'm thinking into words. :**

**Anyways, next update might be soon or in a month (maybe more... -_- *shame*) depending on when inspiration strikes. Review please! :)**


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